Obesity Discussion Forums

[William Wallace]

Wow, I don't know what else to say? Saw on TV this morning a story about an elementary school in Massachusetts who did health tests on all its kids for vision, scoliosis, and other health measures, and included in their report to parents, the BMI of the children and whether or not they were overweight or obese. Some parents were outraged and called this an intrusion and an embarrassment to their children. Others insisted their children were inaccurately reported as obese. It's a pretty cut and dry measurement, I don't see how the school could get it wrong.

This is a health assessment! What did parents expect? A nice fluffy bunch of BS to make themselves feel good about their parenting skills and genetics?

Seems like parents these days are more worried about their own and their childrens' self esteem than their childrens' health.

[Obesity Discussion]

I think this is going to be a touchy subject, although I agree with your overall opinion. Some even go so far to say that allowing your child to become obese is borderline child abuse. I wonder if some day parents will get in trouble for unhealthy kids? I mean parents would lose their kids to social services if the kids slept in an unclean house with rats and feces everywhere, all of which puts the kids at risk for disease. At the same token, allowing your children to become obese (if not natural of course) would also put your kids at risk for disease.

Just brainstorming

[MikeB]

I can tell you that BMI is BS!!!!!
I had several Dr.'s tell me my son was morbidly obese from 3 years old until current due to their inability to look up from the chart!
OK so he's 6 and weighs 110 lbs, therefore he's OBESE, WRONG!!!
My son at 6 was going to Phoenix swimclub 4 times a week for 2 hours a day and doing martial arts 5 nights a week. I challenged the Dr. to fat tank dip him and do a cardio test on him. I then asked the overweight Ms. Dr. to keep up with my son for 1 workout at Phoenix Swim club where he would start off with 20 pushups, 20 situps and then run 1/2 mile, then monkey bars and follow up with about 8-10 laps in an olympic size pool. I had him doing 50 pushups, 50 situps and 50 lunges every day before school as I knew he was big and needed to be in shape. What did she forget to look at, he was 5' tall!!! Don't just look at the weight but the weight and height and BF%.

I say tes but test with a dip tank, not BMI!
BTW, at 10% bodyfat I'll be at 225, that's considered obese by BMI standards for 6'4".

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by mtxpert

I can tell you that BMI is BS!!!!!
I had several Dr.'s tell me my son was morbidly obese from 3 years old until current due to their inability to look up from the chart!
OK so he's 6 and weighs 110 lbs, therefore he's OBESE, WRONG!!!
My son at 6 was going to Phoenix swimclub 4 times a week for 2 hours a day and doing martial arts 5 nights a week. I challenged the Dr. to fat tank dip him and do a cardio test on him. I then asked the overweight Ms. Dr. to keep up with my son for 1 workout at Phoenix Swim club where he would start off with 20 pushups, 20 situps and then run 1/2 mile, then monkey bars and follow up with about 8-10 laps in an olympic size pool. I had him doing 50 pushups, 50 situps and 50 lunges every day before school as I knew he was big and needed to be in shape. What did she forget to look at, he was 5' tall!!! Don't just look at the weight but the weight and height and BF%.

I say tes but test with a dip tank, not BMI!
BTW, at 10% bodyfat I'll be at 225, that's considered obese by BMI standards for 6'4".

Yes, I completely agree that BMI is BS, although the majority of kids in elementarty school aren't muscular enough to skew BMI that much. BMI really becomes inaccurate for those with more than average amounts of muscle.

Water tank is absolutely the best way to test body fat, which to me is the best way to test your obesity. Hopefully the govt. wises up.

[William Wallace]

Originally Posted by mtxpert

I can tell you that BMI is BS!!!!!
I had several Dr.'s tell me my son was morbidly obese from 3 years old until current due to their inability to look up from the chart!
OK so he's 6 and weighs 110 lbs, therefore he's OBESE, WRONG!!!
My son at 6 was going to Phoenix swimclub 4 times a week for 2 hours a day and doing martial arts 5 nights a week. I challenged the Dr. to fat tank dip him and do a cardio test on him. I then asked the overweight Ms. Dr. to keep up with my son for 1 workout at Phoenix Swim club where he would start off with 20 pushups, 20 situps and then run 1/2 mile, then monkey bars and follow up with about 8-10 laps in an olympic size pool. I had him doing 50 pushups, 50 situps and 50 lunges every day before school as I knew he was big and needed to be in shape. What did she forget to look at, he was 5' tall!!! Don't just look at the weight but the weight and height and BF%.

I say tes but test with a dip tank, not BMI!
BTW, at 10% bodyfat I'll be at 225, that's considered obese by BMI standards for 6'4".

It seems like your son's case is the exception not the norm, yes? BMI should work OK for most kids.

[MikeB]

Originally Posted by William Wallace

It seems like your son's case is the exception not the norm, yes? BMI should work OK for most kids.

The problem is if you're out of the norm and the parents don't know anything about BMI etc they might go to drastic measures to "fix" something that ain't broke.